


Hang In There

by ephemeralstark



Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Injury, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Serious Injuries, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:35:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstark/pseuds/ephemeralstark
Summary: Peter is swinging to see Tony after school when the weather causes an accident and he falls.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949887
Comments: 4
Kudos: 151





	Hang In There

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober 2020 prompt: hanging

Peter was not having a good day. 

It had all started when he’d woken up fifteen minutes after his first class had started - and it just had to be the day he had a big unit quiz - but despite waking up late he was determined to make it there in time for second period, which he  _ would’ve _ if the subway hadn't stopped for forty whole minutes because the signal to the tracks had been lost. It was just typical. 

Not only that but by the time he did make it in, he was met by the principal and the promise of detention at the end of the day. Naturally, it was Thursday which meant that the detention would be cutting into his workshop time with Mr. Stark, and  _ seriously _ ? Why was he so unlucky? 

So, once he’d finally finished his detention, in which he was forced to listen to that damn pretentious video that the school seemed to love with Captain America lecturing them, seriously? Didn't they know the man was now classed as a war criminal? Did they really think it was appropriate to keep showing that to children? He shot May a quick text to let her know he was going straight to Mr. Stark’s and wouldn't be home.

Which took Peter to the present, where he was swinging in pretty significant winds and trying his best to put all the bad luck behind him. He was going to work with Mr. Stark and have a nice evening, he was sure of it. 

_ “Peter, I would advise walking the rest of the way,”  _ Karen said,  _ “the winds are worsening and it’s becoming unsafe.”  _

“When is swinging ever completely safe?” Peter retorted, having no intentions of landing, it would take forever to finish his journey if he did, especially since people liked to stop him and ask for photos and autographs - which he’d normally love but today wasn't a normal day for him, “there’s always some kind of risk involved.” 

_ “Risks that I am here to try to reduce,”  _ Karen reminded him,  _ “and walking, or even running, would reduce that risk significantly.”  _

“Come on, K, live a little,” Peter said with a grin that he wasn't entirely sure she could pick up on. 

_ “I am an artificial intelligence, I can’t ‘live a little’,”  _ she told him. 

“Come on, don't make me hack you to improve your humour.” 

_ “That was funny,”  _ Karen argued,  _ “it was witty, sarcastic, and related to the current situation.”  _

“If you have to explain it that much then you didn-” a sudden gust of wind caught Peter just as he was about to change his direction, “woah!” 

_ “Is this an appropriate time to say I told you so?”  _ Karen asked.

Peter, however, was unable to reply as he was frantically trying to right himself in the air, but unfortunately, everything was in the wrong place and when he tried to shoot webs, they would never land where he wanted. The ground was growing closer and closer until suddenly, it wasn't. 

“No, no, no,” Peter muttered desperately as his enhanced eyesight turned into a curse for him and he could see the path he was following, he could see where he was going to end up and he was one hundred percent sure that he didn't want to be there. 

_ “You appear to be-”  _

“I know!” he yelled, and then he hit the spikes.

The scream that left him was bloodcurdling and Peter was sure there wouldn't be a hearing person in the five-mile vicinity who wouldn't have heard his shout… or he had been sure, but as he was left hanging, his body suspended in mid-air by the three spikes that had impaled themselves into his left leg.

_ “Calling for help,”  _ Karen said calmly, knowing that this wasn't the situation to ask for permission. 

“Oh,” Peter whimpered through his tears that were annoyingly falling down his forehead thanks to his upside-down position, “oh god, I can't.” 

He could feel the dampness on his leg spreading and part of him wished he’d lost consciousness, maybe he still would, maybe if he lost enough blood then he would finally get some reprieve from the agony that was radiating through him. 

“Ah, ah, Ka- Kar’n,” he panted out, struggling to force his mouth to form the words due to the pain, “how… long?”

_ “Help will arrive in approximately four minutes,”  _ Karen informed him and Peter thought he would die on the spot hearing that. 

Four minutes didn't sound like a long time, after all it was shorter than five minutes which wasn't as long as an hour, but four minutes when he was hanging upside down, body suspended due to impaled metal in his leg, was a lifetime. 

“I-” he broke off with a choked sob,” K- Kar’n, I c’n’t do i-it.” 

_ “You can, other than your blood pressure dropping from hypovolaemia and sustained tachycardia as a result of the same issue and the influence of pain, you’re doing great,”  _ Karen said and Peter couldn't even muster up the energy to respond to that. 

Would May be disappointed in him for going out in such terrible weather as Spider-Man? Would she forever be angry at him for dying this way? Because he was pretty sure that’s how this was going to end - he was going to die, strung up by his leg like an animal in a slaughterhouse, but even they were killed with more dignity than he was. 

_ “Less than a minute, Peter,”  _ Karen said,  _ “open your eyes.”  _

When had he closed them? And why should he open them again? He was so tired, hadn't he held on long enough? Wasn’t this good enough? Why should he force himself to continue on through unbearable agony when he just didn't want to? He wanted to go to sleep. 

If only he was at home, in his bed, falling asleep to the sound of May humming to herself as she cooked up an abomination or combed through one of her favourite dog-eared books that she would mumble the words aloud from while she read, a small smile painting her face as she didn't even realise she was doing it. 

“Peter…” a small smile danced on Peter’s lips as he gave himself permission to leave his eyes shut, “come on, Underoos, not now! Not today!” 

The voice sounded concerned, that was unfortunate, Peter briefly toyed with the idea of reassuring them before he was pulled under the tempting blanket of sleep. It was warm and effortless, and ultimately - pain free…

… 

Waking up was not effortless or pain free. 

He came around to the steady sound of beeping and the smell of antiseptic burning his sensitive nostrils, although along with that there was something shoved up them with was tickling. He clumsily reached up to try and move it, only to have his hand gently guided back to the bed, by a larger, warm one. 

“Gently there,” a rough voice said, so familiar, “May, he’s waking up.” 

“Peter?” May. “Oh, honey I was so worried.” 

“M’y,” he murmured. 

“That’s right, how are you feeling?” she asked him. 

“H’rts,” he slurred out, his tongue feeling strange in his mouth, “c’n’t talk right.” 

“You’re on some strong opioids kiddo,” the rough voice said again - Mr. Stark, “and they had to put you under to operate on your leg.” 

“Th’y stole m’ leg?” Peter asked, eyes finally opening so he could display his shock effectively when his words were failing at sounding anything other than tired. 

“No,” Mr. Stark laughed, but he seemed mostly relieved that Peter was waking up and the humour didn't reach his eyes, “no, Kiddo, but you’re going to be benched for quite a while I’m afraid, even with those freaky Spidey powers.” 

“Huh, that’s-” he broke off so that he could yawn widely, not making an attempt to cover his mouth, “that’s, yeah.”

Even May laughed that time, “ why don’t you try and get some more sleep?”

“No,” Peter mumbled, despite silently believing that that was a fantastic idea, “w’nna know wha’ happened.” 

“Are you sure?” Mr. Stark asked. 

Peter nodded his head - the movement was unco-ordinated and jerky but it seemed to get his message across, even if it did make his head spin briefly and nausea swirl in the pit of his stomach. 

“You fell while on your way here,” Mr. Stark said slowly, potentially watching for signs of distress so that he could stop if need be, “you fell on some jagged spikes that were coming out the side of the building and they got caught on your leg in three places.” 

“You’re lucky the force didn't cause an amputation,” May muttered, Peter was almost certain - judging by her tone - that he wouldn't have survived that. 

“By the time I got there you’d lost so much blood, I had to act quickly and cut the metal so I could focus on getting you here.” 

“They took you straight into surgery,” May said, taking over, “they promised to do whatever they could but stressed that there was no guarantee you’d keep the leg.” 

“But I did,” Peter mumbled.

“Yeah,” Mr. Stark said, “but this isn't over yet, Buddy, you’ve got a long road ahead, you need to let yourself heal, you’re going to need physiotherapy, you may struggle with many things you used to find easy and you will need further operations.” 

Peter nodded, not realising that a few tears had escaped. 

“We’ll go through it in more detail later, Kid, you should really rest,” Mr. Stark said, “we won’t be going anywhere.” 

Peter nodded; he  _ was  _ tired, but just before he slipped back into sleep he mumbled a single question, “will it hurt like this forev’r?” 

And the darkness took him once more before he could hear the reply.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on tumblr my lovelies @[ephemeralstark!!](ephemeralstark.tumblr.com) and let me know what you think please!! Thank you for reading!


End file.
